News

> LTTE warns of monumental state of destruction

> Govt planning to lure UNP MPs

> SLMM to discuss with govt. PTA's impact on CFA

> Death of 27 year old a mystery 

> Civilians flee Kallar to avoid heavy shelling

> ICRC helps transport injured in Kallar

> Sri Lankan wins BBC World Challenge 2006

UNP to back majority Experts Committee Report

 Unitary state out

 North-east merger for 10 years

 Ranil to discuss report with Mahinda

 Report to be basis for LFP-UNP talks 

The UNP is to support the majority Experts Committee report of the All Party Conference (APC), which has jettisoned the concept of a unitary state and called for maximum devolution at provincial level.

The report also calls for the merger of the north-east for a period of 10 years, following which a referendum is to be conducted in the east for the people to determine the fate of the merger.

The 17-member experts panel was appointed by President Mahinda Rajapakse to assist the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) chaired by Science and Technology Minister Tissa Vitharana and the 11-member majority committee report was presented to the President on Wednesday, December 6.

The 11-member majority report comprised six Sinhalese, four Tamils and one Muslim. They are Jayampathy Wickramaratne, R.K.W. Goonesekera, Asoka Gunawardena, Rohan Perera, Therese Perera, Malkanthi Wickremasinghe, Faiz Mustapha, Nirmala Chandrahasan, K. Vigneswaran, Sivaji Felix and N. Selvakumaran.

There were separate dissenting reports from H.L. de Silva, Gomin Dayasri, Manohara de Silva and Professor G.H. Peiris who were in favour of maintaining the unitary character of the state. Two other reports were to be submitted by M.D.D. Peiris and K.H.J. Wijedasa.

The present Constitution states in Article 2 that, "The Republic of Sri Lanka is a unitary state."

However, the majority committee report of the experts'  panel states the 'Republic of Sri Lanka' will be 'one free sovereign and independent state.'

UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told The Sunday Leader the majority report was representative and would be acceptable to his party and can be developed on the basis of the SLFP-UNP MoU.

He said there was an understanding with the President words such as 'unitary' and 'federal' will not be used in the proposed new constitution.

Wickremesinghe also said since the majority report was representative of all communities it was acceptable and can be developed to bring about a lasting solution to the ethnic conflict.

The UNP Leader who left for the United States on Friday said he would discuss the proposals with the President on his return.

It was not immediately clear whether the President would accept the majority report which has jettisoned the 'unitary state' concept.

The JVP and JHU have already opposed the report.

The APRC is expected to meet tomorrow to consider the report.

LTTE warns of monumental state of destruction

The LTTE on Friday accused the international community and the Norwegian facilitators of encouraging the Sri Lankan government on its 'genocidal programme' by not condemning blatant CFA violations and warned it will push the country into a monumental, irrecoverable state of destruction.

The LTTE's warning came after a meeting Political Wing Head S. P. Tamilselvan had with Special Norwegian Envoy John Hanssen-Bauer in Kilinochchi.

At the meeting, Tamilselvan called for the unconditional reopening of the A9 and A15 land routes to ensure the humanitarian needs of the civilian population are met.

"It is critical that the international community addressed the issue of Colombo's co-operation in re-opening of A9 and A15 land routes ensuring the Tamil people their topmost basic humanitarian needs," Tamilselvan said.

Hinting that the LTTE was considering withdrawing from the CFA, Tamilselvan said the Tamil people are on the verge of losing hope in the Norwegian facilitators, the SLMM and the international community for failing to condemn Colombo's failure to re-open the land routes.

Accusing the government of violating all provisions of the CFA, Tamilselvan said the final straw that appears to have broken the back of the agreement is the introduction of new regulations under the Public Security Ordinance.

"The Norwegian facilitators, the SLMM and the international community that have been backing the CFA have failed to condemn and halt the vast majority of the blatant CFA violations by the GOSL military. While the CFA was being destroyed systematically by the GOSL, the Norwegian facilitators, the SLMM and the international community remained silent for most part.

This failure by the Norwegian facilitators, the SLMM and the international community encouraging the Rajapakse government on its genocidal programme and a military solution will steadily push the island into monumental irrecoverable state of destruction," the LTTE has said.

The LTTE however made no commitment to resume peace talks, but called for the 100% implementation of the CFA if a permanent peace is desired.

Govt planning to lure UNP MPs

Speculation is rife once again that President Mahinda Rajapakse is planning to invite a breakaway group from the UNP to join the government and accept cabinet office.

Speculation on the decision to invite a breakaway group was fuelled after Presidential Advisor and brother Basil Rajapakse told some guests at a dinner hosted by Central Bank Governor last week that the President was prepared to accept the rebel group into government barring three members.

The three members the President was not prepared to accept according to what Basil Rajapakse reportedly said are M. H. Mohomed, Mahinda Wijesekera and Dharmadasa Banda.

Informed sources said the President was concerned that he may be walking into a peace trap which will alienate him from allies the JVP and JHU if he proceeds the full distance with the UNP in terms of the MoU between the two parties especially in light of the experts committee majority report which has jettisoned the unitary state concept from the proposed settlement to the ethnic issue.

These sources said the President is being advised to force the UNP to withdraw from the MoU by inviting rebel members to join the government and then proceed to dissolve Parliament and seek a fresh mandate from the people on a hardline platform to combat the LTTE.

SLMM to discuss with govt. PTA's impact on CFA

By Amantha Perera

The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) last week said that it was seeking an urgent meeting with the government to discuss the newly brought back provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

"We will talk about this with the government as soon as possible," SLMM Spokesperson Thoffinur Omarsson told The Sunday Leader.

The SLMM is likely to bring up the issue of the PTA initially during its routine meetings with the Government Peace Secretariat. "We want to discuss it at the appropriate forum and we usually deal with SCOPP," Omarsson said.

Discussions are underway to form a new political alliance that will bring together all moderate forces that are supportive of a negotiated settlement to the ethnic crisis.

The new alliance is to be built around a platform of maximum devolution to the provinces and ensuring the human rights of the people.

The need for a new alliance surfaced at discussions held by politicians of different hues in light of the current human rights situation in the country and the drift towards a full-blown war.

The Sunday Leader learns the backbone of the new alliance will come from within the alliance members in government with several members fearing a tendency in the government to work to an extremist agenda.

The government comprises members of the LSSP, CP, NUA, CWC and a break-away group from the SLMC in addition to the SLFP.

They have also viewed with alarm the newly introduced emergency regulations and the decision to enforce the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

It is learnt the support of a powerful personality currently taking a political back seat is also to be solicited for this move.

The SLFP under the then Chief Minister of the Western Province Chandrika Kumaratunga in 1994 brought about a similar alliance which included the LSSP, CP, SLMC, EPRLF and several other parties which campaigned for a negotiated political settlement.

New political alliance in the making?

Death of 27 year old a mystery

By Nirmala Kannangara

The mysterious killing at Global Towers Hotel, Wellawatte last week of  a 27 year old young man has caused much concern.

Former Sri Lankan cricketer Suresh Perera whose stag party resulted in the incident last Monday morning is now under remand custody together with the other six friends who had checked in at suite number 902 at the Global Towers on Sunday afternoon.

Rehan de Silva a merchandiser attached to Next - a garment company - was found dead the following morning by security officers at the Global Towers.  He was lying on the ground with cut injuries on his abdomen. Following the incident all the seven occupants of  the suite who were under the influence of liquor had been taken into custody by the police and produced before  the District Judge Mt. Lavinia who remanded  them  till December 14.

OIC Wellawatte, Mangala Dehideniya, who is in charge of  the investigation told The Sunday Leader that  the seven suspects were produced at the Mt. Lavinia District Court on Wednesday and Thursday for interrogation and that they have been further remanded until investigations are completed  to ascertain whether foul play was involved.

According to the OIC, cocaine and ecstasy pills have been found in the suite and two Russian women had been in attendance at the suite during the partying on Sunday night. "There were blood stains and pieces of glass on the floor and on being qustioned  one of the suspects claimed that the blood was from a cut on his leg. On examination we found that the injury was not serious enough  to have caused the severe bleeding all over the bathroom and the room carpet," added the OIC.

Suresh Perera, Manishin Wedege, Chaminda Dias, Dilan Seneviratne, Kumar Senevi-ratne and Suren Anthony who were at the suite at the time of Rehan's death are now in Welikada remand prison.

The father of the deceased, M. I. de Silva told The Sunday Leader that although some are trying to suggest suicide as the cause of death he is certain that there had been foul play.

Sri Lankan wins BBC World Challenge 2006

The BBC World Challenge 2006 for the first time has been won by a Sri Lankan for converting elephant dung into paper.

The company 'Maximus' transforms elephant dung into beautiful, eco-friendly paper, as well as assists the villagers by way of jobs and also encourages them to tolerate the wild elephants rather than injure them.

Maximus, based in Kegalle, beat more than 800 other projects from 120 countries to win World Challenge 2006 and a US$ 20,000 grant from Shell.

More than 33,000 people around the world voted online in the World Challenge 2006 competition, run by BBC World, the BBC's international news and information television channel and Newsweek, the weekly global current affairs magazine, in association with Shell.

The competition searches for, highlights and rewards individuals or groups that have used enterprise and innovation to the benefit of local communities.

Maximus was voted as the winner while the two runners-up,  each of whom received US$10,000, were Cards from Africa in Rwanda and NGO Dalit from Bangladesh.

The three companies were presented with their prizes at a special awards ceremony, filmed by BBC World, in The Hague.

The World Challenge 2006 Awards ceremony will be shown on BBC World on  December 16 and 17.

This year' s competition attracted the greatest numbers of nominees from India (159), Philippines (56), Nigeria (47), USA (34), Kenya (32), South Africa (32), England (20) and Uganda (20).

Maximus founder Thusitha Ranasinghe who spoke to The Sunday Leader before the winners were announced said that this was a means of protecting the elephant that sometimes conflict with the villagers by damaging their crops and houses.

Now instead of chasing or hurting the elephants, they tolerate the beasts and collect their dung, which is bought by  Maximus for  paper production.

Thusitha Ranasinghe has been in the printing business and  realised the advantage of elephant dung having previously seen someone else make such paper.

Civilians flee Kallar to avoid heavy shelling

By Amantha Perera

Thousands of civilians fled the Kallar area in the Trincomalee District yesterday following three days of consecutive artillery exchanges between government forces and the Tigers.

More than 1,500 civilians had reached the Agrabodhi temple in Kantale, about 30 km from Somapura by late yesterday afternoon and aid workers said that at least another 1,000 more were on the road, fleeing the fighting.

"We have already begun our assistance, we provided medical supplies to the Kantale hospital and have also supplied hygiene kits," Davide Vignati of ICRC told The Sunday Leader. More than 20 persons injured in three days of the fighting were receiving treatment at the hospital.

Artillery shells had landed in the Somapura area near Kallar yesterday morning injuring at least 20 including five civilians.

"Shells had fallen near camp, in the hospital compound and near the police, the roads were also shut in the morning. People were waiting to get out," Ven. Seruwila Sarankeerthi Thero of the Somapura temple said.

Most of those fleeing were Sinhalese from the predominantly Sinhalese Somapura and Kallar areas. Residents in Muttur further north said that the town remained calm yesterday.

The artillery exchanges had commenced on December 7, and four civilians including one child were killed when artillery hit the Somadevi school and a house in Somapura. Artillery fire was exchangedon December 8 as well but no casualties were reported.

The exodus is the second in four months, following that of August when more than 60,000 fled the area when fighting broke out after the closure of the Mawilaru sluice gates.

Meanwhile, both sides exchanged artillery fire in the area yesterday morning as well. The Media Centre for National Security said that the Tigers had fired artillery at the Somapura and Mahindapura area yesterday morning. The exchange lasted for more than two hours since 5.30 am.

Artillery fire continued well into the day and aid workers said that drivers were reluctant to travel to Somapura.

"We have some difficulty in getting vehicles into the area due to firing, but we are trying, we also need help in providing food and other facilities to the displaced," Mohamed Azar from Muslim Aid in Kantale said.

The Tigers said that the military had launched an operation from the Mahindapura areamoving along the A15 highway. They said that artillery fire had injured 13 refugees yesterday morning. The Tigers said that the Airforce had bombed the area as well.

The Tigers had demanded that the A15 highway that connects Valechchennei with Muttur too should be opened without restrictions when they met with Norwegian facilitators on Friday.

ICRC helps transport injured in Kallar

By Amantha Perera

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) helped transport the injured soon after the shell attack on the school in Kallar on December 7, despite claims by the government that the relief agency did not react fast enough.

It was an ICRC vehicle that transported the injured from the Somadevi School in Kallar on December 7, according to ICRC officials in the Colombo. However the day after Defence Spokesperson minister Keheliya Rambukwella criticised the relief agency for its lackluster response.

"At around 11:00 AM, on the way from Kantale to Muttur passing Kallar village, we suddenly found ourselves in the middle of artillery shelling. We saw black smoke rising from the school compound. Students were running away for safety. The civilians informed us that some wounded people needed urgent help. At the scene, we found one wounded women teacher, two boy students and one little girl who we managed to evacuate to Kantale hospital," Roberto Petronio, ICRC deputy head of sub-delegation in Trincomalee said.

Rambukwella said that the ICRC and SLMM had rushed to the Sencholai school, in Mullaitivu after Airforce bombed it within hours and released statements.

"They visited the site within a couple of hours and announced to the world and tried to establish it was a school. Then we had to take great pains to prove that it was not a school. We proved beyond an iota of doubt that it was a military training camp and not a school. In fact three girls who were injured received treatment at the Kandy hospital and were on their way home, they were killed in Vavuniya. Their parents had said that their children were abducted by the LTTE," he said.

Rambukwella had earlier criticised the ICRC for bowing down to Tiger threats and suspending accompanying food-ships to Jaffna. The ICRC has maintained that its operational practice was that unless all parties to the conflict reached an agreement it could not operate in areas of conflict.

Authorities await circular to charge smokers

By Shezna Shums

Despite strong measures adopted by the Health Ministry to implement the ban on smoking, the Ministry is yet to officially inform  the guidelines to the four enforcement authorities  charged with carrying out the task - police, food and drug officers, Public Health Inspectors as well as excise officers.

The officials who are to charge errant smokers for breaking the law are in fact required to show their identification while on the job. However the officers are yet to see the circular officially informing them of their duties.

The food and drug inspectors as well as the Public Health Inspectors come under the municipal councils.

Chief Medical Officer, Colombo Municipal Council, Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam told The Sunday Leader that they were awaiting an official circular informing them of their duties.

The Health Ministry, it is learnt is yet to appoint the authoritative committee which will be responsible for the working of this act.

"The CMC has not yet charged any persons for smoking in prohibited places because we are waiting for an official document," he said.

However, Kariyawasam highlighted that the ban on smoking would be welcomed by the majority of the public.

"Over the years we have received many complaints about people smoking in public and in congested areas," he said, adding that they had even considered introducing a restriction on smoking when issuing licences for operating a restaurant or eatery, but had not done so.

Meanwhile Commissioner, Excise Department, R. P. E. Bandara told The Sunday Leader that the department too was awaiting an official letter from the Health Ministry informing them of their duties.

Currently, the Excise Department is taking action in regard to advertisements and billboards displaying alcohol and tobacco products.

"But we can't take the offenders to court because we do not have any legal backing to show officially," he explained.

Persons who display or advertise alcohol and cigarettes are fined over Rs. 5,000. However the Excise Department says that the amount collected by way of fines varied from month to month.

"Until the Ministry appoints an authority and we are officially informed we cannot take any action against the offenders," explained Bandara.

However, there have been some instances where the police have taken action to apprehend persons   breaking this new law.

GCE O/L exam to be held as planned

By Warren Balthazaar

The Education Ministry has taken steps to ensure the  holding of the GCE O/Level examination in the north and east.

Education Minister Susil Premajayanth told The Sunday Leader that supplies have already been sent by air to the north - mainly to the Jaffna area as students have expressed difficulty in purchasing stationery items there.

"The government has provided the Jaffna peninsula with stationery  and other items  worth Rs. 650,000 which can be used by the students who sit the examination," Premajayanth said

He further mentioned that 22,000 students in the Jaffna peninsula would sit the examination and the students who have fled the area due to the conflict situation would also be facilitated by the Education Ministry.

Premajayanth  called upon the Commissioner General of Examinations to provide these students with adequate supplies to sit for the exam.

Premajayanth added that there were 225 GCE O/Level candidates in Vaharai and that these students would also be provided with necessary supplies.

Distribution of forms in most parts of the north has been completed for the candidates to enter examination halls on Monday (11), according to Minister  Premajayanth.

The Minister confirmed that the examination halls in the peninsula would not be changed and that the exams will be held in the original locations as intimated to the students earlier.

Premajayanth said the students who fled to India due to the crisis situation  have also been provided with supplies and arrangements made for them to sit the examination with the help of  Education Ministry officials.

Poverty makes human rights meaningless - Annan 

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in a message to mark International Human Rights Day had said poverty makes human rights meaningless.

"Each of us should understand that the rights set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are of little value to the millions of people who are haunted by extreme poverty, disease and starvation, so long as they have no effective remedies," Annan said.

Annan says the campaign to allieviate poverty  is a moral challenge of our times.

"Enforcing universal human rights can blaze a path towards that goal. Basic human rights, the right to a decent standard of living, food and essential healthcare, opportunities for education or decent work and freedom from discrimination is what the world's poorest need most. But by virtue of their enfeebled status they are the ones least able to achieve or defend such universal rights," explained Annan.

"As a result human rights are jeopardised wherever and whenever a man, woman or child subsists in extreme poverty. We must all recognise that wherever entire families  eke out an existence on less than a dollar a day or children die for lack of basic yet life saving care the declaration has at best a hollow ring," he said. 

Annan adds that today development, security and human rights go hand in hand. "Anyone who speaks forcefully of human rights but does nothing about human security and human development or vice versa, undermines both his credibility and his cause. So let us speak with one voice on all three issues and let us work to ensure that freedom from want, freedom from fear and freedom to live in dignity and make it real  for those most in need," Annan said.

Power and Energy Ministry to enhance power generation

By Nirmala Kannangara

The Power and Energy Ministry has taken steps to enhance the power generation capacity in order to overcome the predicted power crisis in 2008.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian government for the country's second coal power plant is to be signed next week according to Power and Energy Minister John Seneviratne.

Minister Seneviratne told The Sunday Leader that this coal power plant would be set up in Trincomalee and will be followed by another two plants in the Hambantota District making a total of  four coal power plants in the country.

"We are ready to face the impending power crisis in 2008 and hope to add 500 MW to the national grid from the Trincomalee plant," Seneviratne said.

Seneviratne is of the view that the demand for power  would be much higher   by the year 2010, and the proposed power plants would add the  required  power to the national grid to meet the ever-increasing demand for power.

"Due to the high cost of thermal power generation we have opted to go for coal, wind, and hydropower projects but  the proposed Kerawalapitiya thermal power plant would be implemented as planned earlier. This plant would be commissioned  by 2008 and would add 300MW to the national grid and the Upper Kotmale hydro power plant too would be ready by 2010," said Senevirane.

Meanwhile, the Power and Energy Ministry has finalised plans for the setting up of a Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) power plant with the help of the Iranian Government, which would be initiated very soon also in Kerawalapitiya. Minister Seneviratne further stated that to overcome a further power crisis plans are afoot to implement wind power generation plants in Puttalam.

"40 MW would be generated from the wind power plants and the developers are to commence  work shortly  as the Letter of Intent (LoI) has  being issued by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB)," said Seneviratne.